Geovisualisation of Relief in a Virtual Reality System on the Basis of Low-Level Aerial Imagery

Abstract

Abstract-The aim of the following paper was to present the geomatic process of transforming low-level aerial imagery obtained with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) into a digital terrain model (DTM) and implementing the model into a virtual reality system (VR). The object of the study was a natural aggretage heap of an irregular shape and denivelations up to 11 m. Based on the obtained photos, three point clouds (varying in the level of detail) were generated for the 20,000-m 2 -area. For further analyses, the researchers selected the point cloud with the best ratio of accuracy to output file size. This choice was made based on seven control points of the heap surveyed in the field and the corresponding points in the generated 3D model. The obtained several-centimetre differences between the control points in the field and the ones from the model might testify to the usefulness of the described algorithm for creating large-scale DTMs for engineering purposes. Finally, the chosen model was implemented into the VR system, which enables the most lifelike exploration of 3D terrain plasticity in real time, thanks to the first person view mode (FPV). In this mode, the user observes an object with the aid of a Head-mounted display (HMD), experiencing the geovisualisation from the inside, and virtually analysing the terrain as a direct animator of the observations.

Spatial visualization of quantitative landscape changes in an industrial region between 1827 and 1883. Case study Katowice, southern Poland

“…The use of raster source materials and their subsequent digitization is aimed at presenting the method of obtaining data starting from unprocessed materials. This approach is in line with the geomatic method proposed by some authors (Dermanis et al, 2000;Halik & Smaczyński, 2018). The process of digitizing source material is long.…”

Creating a 3D Model of the Existing Historical Topographic Object Based on Low-Level Aerial Imagery

“…Currently, it is possible mostly due to specialist computer software, thanks to which visual data, obtained by UAVs, can be converted to digital form. Furthermore, according to Halik and Smaczyński (2018), the process of aerotriangulation and the lowered RMSE value may be additionally controlled on the basis of independent GCPs that do not participate in the aerotriangulation process, allowing one to estimate the probability of the result with the credibility of 68%. The point cloud calculated in the research included 17,084,208 points, resulting in the density of points at the level of 2310 points per each m2.…”

A systematic review and mapping of the literature of virtual reality studies in earth science engineering education

“…Recent developments in VR technologies, fall in their prices, and the advantages they provide such as 3D environment and interaction have attracted the attention of geoscientists, which, in turn, has paved the way for VR technologies to be used in earth sciences engineering (Havenith et al, 2019). In particular, VR has a significant potential in the field of earth sciences as it allows exploring inaccessible areas of the past, present, or future or existing remote areas not only by static objects such as videos and photos but also by processes reflecting their true dynamics (Halik & Smaczyński, 2018;Havenith et al,, 2019;Lin et al, 2015). Data visualization and 3D modelling have been frequently studied in the field of earth sciences in recent years (Jones et al, 2009;Romañach et al, 2015;Yang & Wang, 2019;Yang et al, 2019).…”

“…Data visualization and 3D modelling have been frequently studied in the field of earth sciences in recent years (Jones et al, 2009;Romañach et al, 2015;Yang & Wang, 2019;Yang et al, 2019). With the development and spread of HMD systems and relative fall in their prices, VR systems now allow visualizing, integrating, manipulating, and querying geospatial data through embodied experiences (Halik & Smaczyński, 2018;Huang & Chen, 2019;. In other words, VR is an environment that offers a lot of potential for data visualization.…”